Whatever you think of this production, it was beautifully danced…by a seasoned company. Osipova makes a lovely Odette and a strong Odile, well partnered by Matthew Golding’s technically assured Siegfried and Gary Avis as a malign von Rothbart. The first act pas de trois and third act character dances are all well danced and the corps remains strong.

Osipova represents a generation of dancers who have the strength and skills to meet the requirements of both roles. Her adagio pointe work exudes lustrous clarity of movement. She adds mystique to Odile, part avian, and as…always a woman. From every angle Osipova gives a defining performance, from diamond-hard arabesque variations to her impeccable transitional phrasing, technical artistry and dramatic expression.

In every step [Osipova] takes, every move she makes, and every breath she takes there’s a degree of extension, yielding freedom and exaltation in movement itself, allowed very few mortals, and usually no more than one to an age. Many a swan dancer has done that wavy thing with the arms, but when Osipova does it, you could rightly wonder if there are bones in hers. It’s not the illusion of fluidity; it’s fluidity.